Good picket line at Washington, very few crossed. Postie waved and kept going. Even got my brother's dog involved #n30 t.co

11/30/2011 10:45:33 AM

Passengers arriving at Gatwick still not experiencing delays, with some describing the process as "quicker than normal". George Frizzell, a 52-year-old RAF medic from Lincolnshire, said: "It was very smooth. There were lots of staff there and a police presence in case there were any arguments.We travel a lot and that is the quickest we've ever got through so maybe they should go on strike more often. They've managed it really well."

While striking workers in Northern Ireland, left, and Sheffield, centre, use his image to voice their concerns, the real David Cameron leaves Downing Street for the House of Commons for Prime Minister's Questions (PA; Reuters)

11/30/2011 10:49:22 AM

Over 90% of Welsh students are missing classes today as part of the public service disruption.

11/30/2011 10:49:39 AM

Lansley points out Osborne set date of #AS2011 b4 unions set date for #n30 strike. ie 'provocative' timing is down to unions

All Cardiff Bus services have been cancelled and funeral services across Wales have had to be rescheduled.

11/30/2011 10:50:16 AM

The BBC are reporting that in Scotland only 30 of the 2,700 council-run schools are open. The figures come from the local authority body, Cosla.

11/30/2011 10:52:05 AM

Simon Walker, of the Institute of Directors has said the strike is doing "significant damage" to the economy. He said: "If you're damaging the productive capacity of this country you're really doing huge damage to the fabric of the economy and that will last a long time and impact on all of us."

11/30/2011 10:53:46 AM

The Torpoint ferry, which takes cars between Devon and Cornwall, is closed.

11/30/2011 10:54:28 AM

The Dartmouth Lower Ferry, which is operated by South Hams District Council, is not running. The Dartmouth Higher Ferry and the Passenger Ferry, which is run by another operator, remains in service.

11/30/2011 10:56:00 AM

By 10am Gatwick had received 57 inbound flights, involving around 8,000 passengers. Passengers were been passing through the border zones as normal with no delay.

11/30/2011 10:57:08 AM

A picket attaches a placard to a wall outside the British Museum in central London (Reuters)

11/30/2011 10:58:03 AM

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said patients who missed an appointment today should get it rescheduled so they are still treated within 18 weeks. He added: ""Unfortunately this is happening at a time when we tend to go into winter pressures, the consequences of Christmas and New Year. It makes it harder, it's not great timing, it will inconvenience patients."

11/30/2011 10:59:34 AM

PA: Cumbria has 220 schools closed, and 16 partially closed, while around 243 Birmingham schools are believed to be affected. Brent, in north west London, has 52 school closures, plus a further 12 that are partially shut, while in nearby Hillingdon there are 36 shut and Harrow has 33 schools affected. In Bromley, 48 schools have shut to pupils and 29 are partly closed, and in Redbridge, east London, 65 have closed their doors completely, with 13 opening only in part.

11/30/2011 11:01:33 AM

Just added report from @dalstonpeople to our #strikes map t.co - reports of police arriving and closing off road #n30

PA: The Department of Health has told NHS trusts in England they must not release figures regarding staff on strike or the number of cancelled operations and appointments. A letter said a "national position" statement must be sent to the media ahead of any regional breakdowns.

11/30/2011 11:11:29 AM

In Sussex, thousands of people are expected to attend marches and protests in Brighton, Worthing, Horsham and Hastings, with police expecting them to pass peacefully.

11/30/2011 11:12:24 AM

Chief Superintendent Paul Morrison, who is leading the police operation for Sussex Police, said: "We have been engaging with the organisers, who have been very co-operative and have informed us of their planned routes and activities."

Health secretary Andrew Lansley admitted workers such as cleaners and porters were low paid, although above the minimum wage, with a porter on around £15,000 a year. He added: "They are just at the point where, below £15,000, we are not proposing to increase their pension contribution rates." (PA)

11/30/2011 11:13:43 AM

Lawyers are manning picket lines outside the offices of the Crown Prosecution Service in Manchester city centre. Many lower pay grade civil servants in the CPS would get average annual pensions of £5,600 after 40 years' service - which they likened to "benefit money".

11/30/2011 11:14:49 AM

Joy Lewis, 25, from Manchester, a paralegal for the CPS and member of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS), said: "We say there is an alternative to public sector cuts by tackling the amount of tax avoidance and tax evasion. Address the tax loopholes."

A public sector worker at Euston Tower, London, wearing the familiar 'V for Vendetta' mask that have recently been adopted by anti-capitalist protestors around the world (Susannah Ireland)

11/30/2011 11:27:22 AM

Traffic updates in London via EastLondonLines.co.uk:* Waterloo Bridge now closed heading south, and severely delayed heading north.* Imax roundabout at Waterloo is blocked due to demonstrations.* M25 is delayed heading clockwise.* Main road route between Lincoln’s Inn Fields and Embankment is also closed ahead of mass demonstration at noon.* Hackney Road, Dalston lane and Pembury Lane are all closed by seperate demonstrations.* Surprise news from UK borders that immigration queues at airports are running quicker than usual.

PA: A headteacher kept her school open despite today's strike by inviting community leaders to take classes. A doctor, politician and journalist were among those who helped keep the Ormiston Victory Academy in Norwich open, despite about half of the school's teachers joining the industrial action.

11/30/2011 11:36:55 AM

Slight consequence of today's strike: my store is full of children. For the greater good! #n30

Unions said an estimated 30,000 teachers across Merseyside were taking part in today's strike. Just two secondary schools, out of a total of 31, were partially open in Liverpool and a "small number" of the 122 primary schools.